Brown hands Clarkson Frustrating Loss

POTSDAM  Friday nights ECAC Hockey contest against Brown University was another frustrating and confusing home game for the Clarkson University mens hockey team.

Clarkson fell 3-2 to the Bears before 2,121 fans, giving the Golden Knights four straight losses at home and dropping Clarksons record in Cheel Arena to 1-7-1 this season, 1-8-1 if you include a loss to Carleton University in an exhibition game.

The Golden Knights led twice in Fridays game, but never could get a two-goal lead against the Bears (5-6-4 overall, 1-3-4 ECAC Hockey). And Clarkson again struggled on offense, producing two or fewer goals for a fourth straight game.

Were having a hard time generating offense right now, Clarkson coach Casey Jones said. Every mistake we make is magnified because we have trouble scoring goals. We have to get ourselves in dirty areas and do some simple things to try to generate some offense. Were trying to evolve. In December, with the St. Lawrence games, I thought we were starting to create something and do some things. Now were gripping the stick and doing some things I had not seen in a while. We have to persevere and get through this.

The Golden Knights (4-11-5, 3-4-1) got off to a good start when Matt Zarbo scored just 2 minutes, 3 seconds into the game on a shot from along the boards that hit the glove of Brown goalie Anthony Borelli, who grew up around the corner from Zarbo in Grand Island, and trickled into the net.

Everyone was pretty excited, Zarbo said. We jumped out to the early lead and thats what youre looking for. But it did not turn out the way we wanted it too. Its important to try to put teams away, and we havent been able to do that this year.

Brown answered the goal when Ryan Jacobson got a pass from Mark Naclerio and put the shot into an open corner of the net at 7:47 of the first period.

Its a tough one because that first (Clarkson goal) is squirrely, Whittet said. Nine out of 10 times thats not going in the net at all. With a young group, a fragile group, a team that had not won a game, even though its the first shift, that can crush a team. Our guys battled back really hard. As the game progressively wore on, I thought we got a lot better.

Defenseman Sam Labrecque scored on a quick pass from behind the goal line from Jeff DiNallo to give Clarkson a 2-1 lead at 11:54 of the first period, but the Bears responded with a second goal from Jacobson at 17:41 of the first period, on the only power play of the game, to tie the score 2-2.

I got some lucky bounces, which is nice, Jacobson said. Ive been in a little bit of a slump. Those were great passes. I just tapped them in.

Late in the second period Brown began to take control of the game and kept the puck in Clarksons zone for most of the final three minutes, finally scoring with 45.4 seconds left on a shot from Matt Harlow to close out the scoring.

The goal came just after a faceoff and Jones was trying to make a line change but was denied by the officials, even though the home team is supposed to get the final change.

I was really disappointed at that stage of the game that he wouldnt afford me a line change, Jones said of one of the officials. I thought (Brown) had momentum at that point and time of the game. That was the stage of the game where they had a good push and we were trying to survive.

Potsdam 4, WNE 3 (OT)

SPRINGFIELD, MASS. Junior forward Adam Place (Scarborough, Ontario) scored with 31 seconds left in overtime to give the SUNY Potsdam mens hockey team (6-8-1) a 4-3 victory over Western New England (6-7) on Friday night. Potsdam freshman goaltender Jon Hall (Dexter, N.Y.) made 33 saves to earn his first collegiate win.

Junior forward Zach Blake (Campbellford, Ontario) got Potsdam on the board with a power-play tally at the 5:48 mark of the first period. Senior captain Matt Viola (Toronto, Ontario/) and sophomore defenseman Erick Ware (Huntsville, Ala.) assisted on the goal. Just 14 seconds later, junior assistant captain Mike Arnold (Didsbury, Alberta/) scored with an assist from sophomore defenseman Dan McCamey (Dayton, Ohio/). At 11:11, freshman forward Billy Pascalli (Deer Park, N.Y.) made it 3-0 Bears on helpers from Place and junior assistant captain Nick Avgerinos (Bolton, Ontario/). The Golden Bears finally broke through with a power-play tally from William Preston. Potsdam led 3-1 at the break.

After tight play midway through he second period, Chris Connors scored an even strength goal to make it a 3-2 contest. Six minutes later, Connors struck again to tie the score at 3-3. Western New England outshot the Bears 13-11 in the second period. The score was knotted at 3-3 after 40 minutes.

In overtime the Bears outshot Western New England 4-2. With less than a minute left in the extra five minutes, Viola forced a neutral zone turnover and fed Place. Place carried the puck into the zone and roofed it over Carr for the game-winner. Ware notched the second assist on the play.

Tim Carr finished with 35 saves. The Bears are back in action todau when they head down the Mass Pike to Worcester to battle Becker College at 3:30 p.m.

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